Contract killer learns fate for shooting Rebels bikie Nick Martin at Perth Motorplex

The hired sniper convicted of murdering senior Rebels bikie Nick Martin at a Perth drag racing event has avoided life imprisonment.

The 35-year-old former soldier, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to gunning down Martin from long range at Perth Motorplex in December 2020 as the then-Rebels chief sat with his wife and other associates.

Watch the video above for more about the killing of the Rebels boss

West Australian Supreme Court Justice Stephen Hall on Monday sentenced him to a 20-year prison term, describing the shooting as an “unlawful public execution” which involved meticulous planning.

The gunman would ordinarily have faced life imprisonment but will instead become eligible for parole after serving 18 years, having received a substantial sentencing discount in exchange for past and future cooperation.

This includes agreeing to testify against the man accused of organising and paying for the killing, Comancheros bikie David Pye.

Pye has been charged with Martin’s murder and a number of other offences but is yet to enter pleas.

Prosecutor Justin Whalley SC said Pye had offered the gunman $150,000 to kill Martin.

The sniper carried out extensive research, including flying a drone over Martin’s home to assess the security and approaching within 10m of him at the Motorplex.

On another night, he snuck into the venue and moved a safety ramp which interfered with the line of sight between Martin’s usual seat and his intended shooting position.

The gunman also tested his high-powered rifle by firing 200 rounds at a small target in isolated bushland.

On the night of the killing, he changed the wheels on his vehicle and applied false registration plates. He then put on a camouflage suit and gloves, climbed through a hole in the fence and crawled to his position in a heavily vegetated area.

Mr Whalley said the gunman watched Martin through the scope of his rifle for about 10 to 15 minutes as he made adjustments based on wind speed calculations and other factors.

"The offender has put a target on his back for the rest of his life"

He fired a single shot which struck Martin on the chest, causing him to exclaim “I’ve been shot”.

The bullet then passed through the 51-year-old’s back and struck his son-in-law Ricky Chapman in the left leg before lodging in his arm.

Martin died in hospital but his son-in-law survived the shooting, which prosecutors accepted had been solely aimed at the bikie.

About 2000 people were at the event and a five-year-old child was seated behind Martin.

The gunman was ultimately paid a total of $100,000 for the shooting, having been told another person had declined to contribute.

The court heard he remained in touch with Pye, who allegedly offered the gunman $800,000 to kill another bikie who lived overseas.

He said he would consider it and received a further $345,000 in cash, some of which he stashed in PVC pipes and buried in bushland.

"The offender has placed a monetary value on a life and determined that $150,000 was an appropriate amount"

He was arrested weeks later, having been under police surveillance in relation to the Motorplex shooting.

Mr Whalley said Martin had been a “sitting duck”, adding that the stupidity of the gunman’s decision to take one life and ruin many others was striking.

“The offender has placed a monetary value on a life and determined that $150,000 was an appropriate amount to justify the killing of a fellow human being,” the prosecutor said.

“He could have got a FIFO job and made that in less than a year.”

Defence lawyer Simon Freitag SC said his client’s cooperation with authorities had placed him under significant personal risk.

“The offender has put a target on his back for the rest of his life,” he said.

Justice Hall said the shooting had endangered others and left Martin’s family traumatised and devastated.

He said he would have sentenced the gunman to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years were it not for the exceptional level of cooperation he had promised to prosecutors.